#MotorTalkMonday – troubleshooting your electric motor
If your electric motor won’t start, don’t panic! Follow this step-by-step guide for troubleshooting your motor to see what could be causing the issue:
1. Check Power Supply
• Verify voltage at the terminals with a multimeter.
• Check breakers or fuses — reset or replace if tripped/blown.
• Inspect power cord and plug for damage or loose connections.
2. Inspect Motor Connections
• Make sure wiring is tight and terminals are clean.
• Check for burnt or frayed wires or discoloration (signs of overheating).
3. Test the Start/Run Capacitor (if applicable)
• If it’s a single-phase motor, a bad capacitor can stop it from starting.
• Use a multimeter with capacitance setting or replace with a known good one
to test.
4. Listen and Feel
• Humming sound but no motion? Could be a jammed shaft or bad capacitor.
• No sound at all? Likely a power or internal circuit issue.
5. Check for Mechanical Issues
• Manually rotate the shaft — it should move freely.
• Look for locked bearings, foreign objects, or bent shafts.
6. Motor Protection or Overload
• Some motors have thermal overload protection — wait for it to reset or
manually reset if possible.
• Check overload relay in the control circuit.
7. Test the Windings
• Use an ohmmeter to check continuity between windings.
• Check for shorts to ground with a megohmmeter or insulation resistance
tester.
8. Control Circuit
• If connected to a starter, VFD, or control panel, verify those are functioning.
• Bypass, if possible, to isolate the motor.
Need more help with your motor? Give us a call at (918)366-9320!
hashtag#ABB hashtag#ElectricMotor hashtag#EngineeredToOutrun hashtag#Outrun
